The 2015 NFL schedules have just been released. Additionally, the individual team’s schedules have already been broken down by strength determining the teams with the easiest schedules heading into 2015.
Therefore, here are five fantasy football quarterbacks who potentially face easier opponents and could reward their fantasy owners generously this season.
5. Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Okay it will likely not be Glennon commanding this position once the 2015 season opens. However, plug in Jameis Winston or anyone else who starts for the Bucs and they potentially make a fantastic backup fantasy quarterback to draft.
With the fourth easiest NFL schedule this year, whoever is quarterbacking for the Bucs could be a fantasy sleeper this season. It is because of their easy NFC South schedule that we could have a fantasy breakout this year.
With two meetings each against their divisional rivals, the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers things remain easy with opponents such as the Washington Redskins, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Tenneseee Titans who all give away the farm to their opposing fantasy quarterbacks.
The only teams the Bucs play who allow less than 15 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks are the St. Louis Rams and Houston Texans in 2015.
Armed with second-season breakout wide receiver Mike Evans and veteran Vincent Jackson, Winston, or whoever could strike a bit of fantasy gold this year.
4. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Newton should be quite a bit more polished with his awesome second-year wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin entering into 2015. With a chance to make it back into fantasy relevance and become a trusty quarterback, Newton and the Panthers have an easier schedule to address this year.
Apparently playing in the NFC South makes for some of the better fantasy quarterback options for 2015. Newton faces, twice, the Falcons, Saints, and Buccaneers who all rank within the top 10 for the most passing yards allowed by quarterbacks.
Newton also plays the Eagles Bucs, Redskins, and Cowboys who also allowed top 10 passing yardage to opposing quarterbacks last year. This is fabulous news if you want to snag Newton in a later round, as he appears to have plenty of upside heading into 2015.
3. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Romo was a force to take down late last season as he led all quarterbacks in touchdown to interception ratio for the last six weeks in 2014. He now gets to face his soft NFC East quarterback defenses in two meetings each with the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants. They allowed the first, third and seventh most fantasy points, consecutively, to quarterbacks last season
Additionally, Romo faces the Saints, Jets, Falcons, Buccaneers and Panthers who all round out in the bottom 16 in stopping quarterback production.
Romo haters prepare, because it is going to be another bright season for him and his fantasy owners.
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Brees didn’t exactly pan out to be that No. 2 or 3 overall quarterback many drafted him for last season. However, he still makes a strong fantasy option in 2015 and he has a great schedule which should optimize his fantasy potential.
The Saints get to play a lot of the fluff mentioned above who allow generous points to opposing fantasy quarterbacks. Two meetings with the Falcons’ 10th-worst quarterback defense should fare well for Brees too. In addition, Brees will face the Redskins defense who allowed the most fantasy points of all teams last season.
Let’s hope Brees makes his solid QB1 numbers more often than he hit the mark last year.
1. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Ryan makes for a sweet fantasy quarterback option in 2015. Decent most weeks and armed with stud wideout Julio Jones has Ryan facing the NFL’s easiest schedule, a quarterback to target. With opponents like Saints who gave up the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks last year, who the Falcons play twice, Ryan also faces a cast of other softer competition.
The Panthers, Cowboys, Giants, Buccaneers, Titans, Eagles, and Redskins top off most of the teams Ryan and company will face. All of these teams rank in the bottom half of shutting down opposing quarterbacks.
Draft Ryan as a low-end QB1 and he should not disappoint.
Strength of Schedule for 2015 is referenced here.